ould leave
her. It seemed to her that it would be the most delicate chivalry on
his part--having won this much--to push his advantage no further. She
waited anxiously for his next words. She began to fear that she had
trusted too much upon her assurance of his tact.

Corthell held out his hand again.

"It is good-night, then, not good-by."

"It is good-night," said Laura.

With the words he was gone, and Laura, entering the house, shut the
door behind her with a long breath of satisfaction.

Page and Landry were still in the library. Laura joined them, and for a
few moments the three stood before the fireplace talking about the
play. Page at length, at the first opportunity, excused herself and
went to bed. She made a great show of leaving Landry and Laura alone,
and managed to convey the impression that she understood they were
anxious to be rid of her.

"Only remember," she remarked to Laura severely, "to lock up and turn
out the hall gas. Annie has gone to bed long ago."

"I must dash along, too," declared Landry when Page was gone.

He buttoned his coat about his neck, and Laura followed him out into
the hall and found an umbrella for him.

"You were beautiful to-night," he said, as he stood with his hand on
the door knob. "Beautiful. I could not keep my eyes off of you, and I
could not listen to anybody but you. And now," he declared, solemnly,
"I will see your eyes and hear your voice all the rest of the night. I
want to explain," he added, "about those hansoms--about coming home
with Miss Page and Mrs. Wessels. Mr. Corthell--those were his hansoms,
of course. But I wanted an umbrella, and I gave the driver seventy-five
cents."

"Why of course, of course," said Laura, not quite divining what he was
driving at.

"I don't want you to think that I would be willing to put myself under
obligations to anybody."

"Of course, Landry; I understand."

He thrilled at once.

"Ah," he cried, "you don't know what it means to me to look into the
eyes of a woman who really understands."

Laura stared, wondering just what she had said.

"Will you turn this hall light out for me, Landry?" she asked. "I never
can reach."

He left the front door open and extinguished the jet in its dull red
globe. Promptly they were involved in darkness.

"Good-night," she said. "Isn't it dark?"

He stretched out his hand to take hers, but instead his groping fingers
touched her waist. Suddenly Laura felt his arm clasp her.